X-Message-Number: 2164
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 93 12:23:36 CDT
From: Brian Wowk <>
Subject: CRYONICS Reply to Michael Riskin

Michael Riskin:
 
> ...unless the patients are stored on the diaganol, their body width
> is limited to 12 inches.
 
        Let the symbol ** represent a patient.  The proper way to 
stand six patients in a square meter is
 
        **  **
        **  **
        **  **
not
        ** ** **
        ** ** **
 
so body width is limited to 20" (half a meter) not 12".
 
        Something people often forget when thinking about space is 
that you should not look at the size of healthy people around you.  
You should really look at the size of dying people in nursing homes or 
AIDS hospices, which are much more representative of Alcor's patient 
population.
 
        By the way, square meter cells have now been abandoned in 
favor of one meter wide corridors.  Patients will now be stored like
 
        ---------------------
        ** ** ** ** ** ** **
        ** ** ** ** ** ** **
        ** ** ** ** ** ** **
        --------------------- 
 
making the width question moot.
 
 
> Would you explain vitrification?
 
        Vitrification is the approach to cryopreservation of organs 
being pursued by Greg Fahy at the Red Cross.  Vitrification involves 
introducing a cryoprotectant mixture of such composition that no 
freezing (crystallization) of water occurs as you cool to -130'C.  
Liquid instead becomes increasingly viscous and eventually solid 
(vitreous) like glass.  Freezing damage is thus avoided completely.
 
        Vitrification is the approach that will most likely be used to 
achieve reversible cryopreservation of the human brain (perhaps in 
this decade).  Saul Kent is now forming a company and raising capital 
to pursue this research.  This is important to cryonicists because 
reversible brain preservation virtually guarantees that cryonics will 
work (at least on technical level).
 
        Storage temperature is a critical aspect of vitrification.  
You must stay within -140'C to -120'C.  Besides the superior security 
and economics, this consideration is a primary reason to build a Cold 
Room.  We want to be ready for this technology when it arrives.
 
        Vitrification must be applied to single organs at a time.  
Whole bodies cannot be vitrified for this reason, and whole body 
members who wish to take advantage of this technology will probably 
have to have their brain stored separate from their body.
 
        That's vitrification.
 
                                                --- Brian Wowk

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